Vegan Berry Crumble

This vegan berry crumble is made with oats and whole wheat flour for a healthier take on dessert. You can use fresh or frozen berries, so this recipe is tasty no matter the season!

To tell you the truth, this recipe took quite a few tries before I really nailed it. I wanted to make the ingredients list as clean as possible without sacrificing taste or texture. I also wanted to provide a few common substitutions since I know from my own baking experience, I like to use what I have on hand.

I’m pumped to say that this berry crumble is downright heavenly.

For this recipe, I’m using whole wheat pastry flour. That ingredient typically sparks the question “What is whole wheat pastry flour and how is it different from other flours?” Great question, I’m glad you asked.

Whole wheat pastry flour is milled from a different kind of wheat. It’s made from white soft wheat rather than red hard wheat. Don’t let the term “white” confuse you. It is still 100% whole wheat flour. But it has a lower protein content than regular whole wheat flour so it has a much better texture for things like baked goods.

Substitution Suggestions

If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour, don’t stress. You can substitute regular all-purpose flour if you need to. You’ll still get a little boost of fiber and whole grains from the oats!

Secondly, I’m using coconut oil in this recipe. If you don’t have any, you can use melted butter, but I wanted to keep this recipe vegan so I opted for coconut oil. It does add a subtle coconut flavor which I love but if you absolutely hate coconut, you can substitute butter or a vegan butter like Earth Balance. Just be sure to melt it before mixing!

Lastly, let’s talk about fruit! I’ve made this with blackberries or blueberries both fresh or frozen. While fresh blackberries were my favorite, the blueberries did add a bit of extra sweetness. I also liked using frozen wild blueberries because they’re smaller than blackberries or conventional blueberries so it was easier to create an even fruit layer.

Whether you try blackberries or blueberries, it will be delicious! Ok, let’s get baking!

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to let these cool completely before cutting. I like to take the crumble out of the pan by carefully lifting the parchment paper then letting it cool on a wire rack. If you don’t have a wire rack, just let it cool on a cutting board. Be gentle with this dish until it is completely cooled!

Fair warning, these bars are pretty crumbly. They’ll hold together enough to be cut into bars, but grab a napkin! That said, they’re also delightful served in a bowl with a scoop of ice cream. But you probably already knew that, right?

Never heard of whole wheat pastry flour but it looks like a very useful ingredient. Better than using all purpose flour which always makes me uneasy because it is so empty nutrition wise. Love how your berry crumble looks!